Hat conformator



t. 13, 1925. C. WATSON 1,557,289 I HAT conFoRmATon I Filed Dec. 24, 1920 .1. I IIWH 1 J 5 7 [i I M i 13 7/ 12 t| mvewbo'a Gkarlesjf. T I aZS'On,

Patented Oct. 13, 1925.

UNITED states CHARLES H. WATSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

,IHIAT conroniviaron.

Applicatio n filed December 24, 1920. Serial No. 432,912.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CH nLns H. lV 'rsoN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hat Conformators, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to hat conformators -t.= and has for its primary object to provide adjustable means whereby the 'hat may be ac curately'fitted to heads of different sizes, said means being so constructed and arranged that it will not detract from the appearance of the hat.

It is another object of the invention to provide a conformating device for hats which is arranged between the body wall of the hat and the sweat leather and is wholly independent of the latter by which the conformator is normally covered and concealed.

In attaining the above results, in one embodiment of the invention I provide a continuous tubular sheath of fabric which is arranged within the h at between the wall of the hat crown and the sweat leather and is secured at its outerside to the body Wall of the hat. lVithin this sheaththere is arranged a yielding reinforced tape, the ends of which are provided with take up means.

By theadjustment of this tape up means, the tapecan be eontracted to secure the desired close fitting pressure of the inner wall of the tubular sheath against the head of the wearer. i i

With the above a-nd otherobjects in view, the invention consists in the improved form, construction and relative ai-rangeinent of the several parts,as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined'claiins."

In the drawing, wherein I have illustrated one practical and satisfactory embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is an inverted plan View of a hat having the conformator applied thereto and shown partly in section,

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the conformator contracted to reduce the size of the head receiving opening,

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail section ta ken on the line l4 of Figure 2, showingthe elastic tape contracted and the enclosing sheath therefor disposed in a horizontal plane.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 designates the crown and 6 the brimpor tion of a hat. In the present instance I have illustrated the device as applied' to a straw hat, but it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited in its use to application to a hat of this particular type. j

The conformator includes a continuous tubular sheath of'fabric 7, which isformed from a single piece of inateriahthe edge portions thereof being stitched together as at 8. These connected edge portions of the material are secured or attached directly to the body wall of the hat crownadjacent to its connection with the brim bymeans of'a row of stitching 9. 5

Within the fabric tube 7 there-is arranged a reinforced yieldable tape 1O. As illustrated in the drawing, in oneembodiment of the invention, the ends of this length of tape are extended through spaced openings 11 in the body wall of the hat, said openings being located under the bow B oftheribbon band which surrounds the hat crown. Suitabletake up means is provided for conformating the tape 10. In the illustated form of the invention I have shown this take up means as comprising a small buckle 12 attached to oneend of the tape and through which the other tape end is engaged. As thi sl'buckleunderlies the ribbon how it will belentirely concealed from view. However, if desired this take up means or its equivalent may be arranged within the hat.

It will be noted that the line of stitching 9 is located closely adjacent to the elastic tape 10 enclosed within the sheath. Both the inner and outer Walls of the sheath are however entirely free so that they may readily yield when the elastic tape is contracted or extended. This arrangement provides for a maximum adjustment of the conformator and afltords what is in effecta yieldable cushioning and which may be readily varied in diameter in order that the hat may be properly and securely fitted upon heads which may considerably vary in size.

A sweat leather 18 is secured along one edge to the hat at the juncture of the crown and brim in the usual manner. This leather extends inwardly over the conformator which produces a smooth rounded or convex portion of the leather which directly contacts with the head of the wearer. The conformator is thereby completely concealed so that, in so far as appearances are concerned, no difference is observable distinguishing the hat from the ordinary hat of this type as now produced.

The conformator as above described can be readily applied to the hat without requiring any changes whatever in the present methods of manufacture. By the adjustment of the contractible tape, the hat may be readily fitted to heads of different sizes and as the tape and the enclosing sheath are capable of local yielding, the conformator will adapt itself to surface irre ularities on the head of the wearer. Thus, a very accurate and the same time confortable fit of the hat to the head of the wearer may be produced.

vUpon a'comparison of Fi 'ures 3 and 4 of the drawing, it will be noted that when the elastic band or tape 10 is expanded to its largest diameter within the hat crown, the sheath 7 is vertically disposed in parallel relation to the wall of the hat crown, as shown in Figure 3. When the tape or band is contracted, as in Figure l, the inner and outer walls of the sheath are drawn inwardly and downwardly to a substantially horizontal position so that the sweat leather is moved inwardly and spaced from the wall of the hat crown. The elastic band 10 may be adjusted to any desired intermediate position between these two extremes and this provides a means for effecting a positive variation in the diameter of the sweat band whereby the hat may be prop erly adjusted to accurately fit heads of different sizes. When the band 10 is in an intermediate position, the sheath will form loose folds, not shown in the drawing. The elastic band, as will be noted, is parallel to the vertical wall 5 of the hat crown, as shown in Figure 3, and maintains such parallelism in all intermediate adjusted positions from the initial position shown 1n Figure 3 to the extreme contracted position shown in Figure 4.

From the foregoing description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, the construction, manner of use and several advantages of the device will be clearly understood. The improved hatconformator as herein disclosed is of exceedingly simple construction and can, therefore, be manufactured at comparatively small cost so that the selling price of the hat to the retail purchaser will not be materially increased. I have herein disclosed one mode of adapting or applying the conformator which I have found to be quite desirable, but it is to be understood that in this particular, as well as in the form and construction of the several parts, the device is susceptible of numerous modification. Accordingly, I reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. The combination with a hat having a crown and a brim and a sweat band attached at one of the edges at the junction f the hat crown and brim, a fabric sheath having its inner edge secured to the wall of the hat crown, a considerable distance above the point of attachment of the sweat band and the outer end of the sheath having a flattened tubular portion and an adjustable flat elastic tape enclosed within said tubular portion having the direction of its width in parallel relation to the wall of the hat crown.

2. The combination with a hat having a crown and brim and a sweat band attached at its inner edge at the junction of the hat crown and brim conformer including sheath formed from a strip of fabric folded transversely upon itself and having its edge stitched together thereby providing a flexible tube, said tube being flattened and having contacting walls secured together at a point adjacent the line of stitching extending through the wall of the hat crown at a point considerable above the point of attachment of the sweat band and an ad justable fiat elastic tape within said sheath and positioned in the direction of its width in parallel relation to the wall of the hat crown. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereunder.

CHARLES H. IVATSON. 

